Once was enough

Infielder Todd Walker won his arbitration case with the Padres on Wednesday morning, yet one wouldn't know it by how Walker reacted. Simply, he seemed eager to move on. The hearing on Tuesday had lasted some four hours, and Walker couldn't have enjoyed hearing a Padres lawyer argue why the club thought Walker was worth $1.2 million less than Walker's side had proposed. Walker said he harbored no bad feelings. Still, he had never been through anything like the hearing, which he likened to a mini trial. "It was strange, man," he said. "It was just strange, real strange. I wouldn't wish it on anybody. It was a long, tough deal for us."

The Padres' front office was shocked that it lost. Even Walker admitted that he had strong doubts. Then came the verdict that a trio of panelists had set his 2007 salary at $3.95 million. Walker credited his brother Mark Walker, a CPA in Newport Beach whose financial clients include ballplayers Torii Hunter and David Ortiz. Astounded by his brother's conviction, Todd likened Mark Walker to Christopher Columbus. "He thought the world was round and everybody else thought it was flat," Walker said.

Maybe the Walkers had a leprechaun on their side, too. For the second time this week, Todd wore an old, faded, green Lucky Charms shirt, home to a prancing leprechaun who popularized the breakfast cereal. Needless to say, the Padres were feeling green in the gills. They were expecting that Walker's salary would be $2.75 million.

Posted by Tom Krasovic at February 21, 2007 08:09 PM
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